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Spring Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners

byVetDepotonMarch 29, 2016

Winter always seems to be a time of hibernation, laziness, and relaxation; which ultimately creates a borderline unlivable mess of your living quarters. It’s okay though, because now it is officially spring, and that means it’s time to find motivation for spring-cleaning! A good way to begin is to simply stop the slacking and begin freshening things up for the longer and brighter days ahead. This is also the perfect opportunity to refresh all your pet’s stuff, which is probably shredded, dirty, all over the house, or just plain old and outdated!

You can start by washing all pet bedding and throws. If beds have lost their support or are looking a bit shredded, now is a perfect time to shop for something new and take advantage of new styles and designs that are ultimately aimed at pet comfort. We have awesome prices on comfy pet beds on our site, so either donate your pet’s bed to an animal shelter/humane society, or toss it if it’s really gross. If you are feeling crafty, check out this page for ideas on how to make your own DIY pet bed out of recycled materials!

“But my new bed won’t have leg holes!”

Next, move onto the toy box: It’s probably been a while since you’ve washed them, right? Well don’t worry, many toys are washable and can be placed in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. You can put them inside of a pillow case to prevent them from coming apart, especially if they’re your pet’s favorite toy that they destroyed but still love dearly! Toys made from rubber and harder materials could probably do with a good soaking in a disinfectant to get the layers of dirt, hair, and other stuff off of them (this is something can you can do year-round too).
However, toys that are broken, especially if they have stuffing and squeakers inside them, should be thrown away and replaced. If your pet is particularly fond of a particularly toy, it’s a good idea to stock up so that you can replace regularly and keep the fun and games going in full swing! Again, if you’re feeling like getting your DIY on, here’s a bunch of ideas for homemade toys using easily accessible materials from around the house.

This is also the time to check through your pet’s medications, supplements, flea and tick products and various toiletry items to ensure that they are still fresh, and haven’t passed their expiration date. It’s important to remember that supplements and products such as sunscreen lose their effectiveness after a while and need to be thrown away and replaced. If it’s time to buy some new supplements and get your dog or cat’s flea/tick treatment started!

“Spring cleaning is EXHAUSTING, can’t we just play in the mess instead?”

Spring also marks the start of the official shedding season to get rid of thick winter fur! Shedding is a normal and natural occurrence for cats and dogs, so don’t be alarmed when you see fur all over the place. It’s how they remove dead hair from their bodies and maintain their coats in top condition (along with good nutrition). In the wild, members of the cat family shed twice a year – in the spring to get rid of thicker winter fur, and again in the fall to prepare for the next winter’s thicker coat. Shedding is largely influenced by daylight and, more specifically, by the number of hours a dog or cat is exposed to sunlight in a day; this is known as a photoperiod. Of course the amount a pet sheds will vary significantly from breed to breed.

“Are you gonna make a scarf with that?”

You can speed things along with a deshedding tool and also help remove excess fur with special deshedding shampoos or with alcohol-free wipes formulated specially for cats. Controlling shedding will also go a long way in keeping your home looking spring-cleaned too! Not to mention, if you keep your cat’s shedding under control, there will be less furballs to clean up.

Spring is the perfect time to have everything all fresh and clean for the summer, so start tidying and cleaning ASAP! It can be quite a daunting task, but don’t be overwhelmed – take the process slowly and patiently, it isn’t a race. Your pets, family members, and even yourSELF will thank you for all of your hard work! After the cleaning is done, it’s time to start being prepared for other spring-related issues that may come your way. It’s okay, as long as you follow our advice you’ll be as golden as the spring sun!

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